Freedom House

Letter from Imprisoned Cameroonian Journalist Tsi Conrad to Pope Leo XIV

With Pope Leo XIV set to visit Cameroon in just a few weeks, imprisoned journalist Tsi Conrad wrote to His Holiness from his cell in Kondengui Central Prison, asking him to use the visit to advocate for political prisoners #FreeThemAll

Read the full letter: freedomhouse.org/article/lett...

Issue 11: October – December 2025

Our China Dissent Monitor has found that of those dissent-related posts from June to December 2025 that were deleted from China’s social media platform Douyin, posts about protests led by petitioners were deleted more often (80%) than posts about others. Read more: freedomhouse.org/report/china...

Our Chinese Dissent Monitor has found that two-thirds of all protest-related posts we documented on social media platform Douyin between June and December 2025 have already been deleted.

Explore more about protest in China: freedomhouse.org/report/china...

Issue 11: October – December 2025

Data from our China Dissent Monitor show that the significant rise in preholiday wage protests occurs against the backdrop of a 58% rise in total labor dissent from 2024 to 2025, which is likely driven by a slower economy.

Explore more about protest in China: freedomhouse.org/report/china...

🟦 NEW PPI WATCH: Over the past few years, there have been crackdowns on artists and performers in Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Azerbaijan, Egypt, China, and Venezuela, among other countries. Learn more: freedomhouse.org/article/poli...

Freedom House commends the recent opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) finding that the detention of Pakistani human rights defender Idris Khattak violates international law & calls on the Pakistani government to release Khattak without delay freedomhouse.org/article/free...

Our China Dissent Monitor data suggests that the recent rise in preholiday wage protests is indicative of both broad economic pain and widening inequality.

Explore more about protest in China: freedomhouse.org/report/china...

Issue 11: October – December 2025

The newest installment of our China Dissent Monitor adds 1,363 dissent events to our database—an 8% year-on-year increase compared to Q4 2024.

Most protests were led by workers (54%), property owners (22%), and rural residents (14%).

freedomhouse.org/report/china...

Read the latest Spotlight🔆on Freedom:

🪧New Report Finds Sharp Rise in Protests Across China in 2025
⛓️ NEW Political Prisoners Watch
🏛️ Human Rights in Belarus Today: Political Prisoners and the Ongoing Crackdown

More: bit.ly/4qL1uxC
Subscribe: bit.ly/Subscribe_FHnewsletter

🪧 NEW: Our China Dissent Monitor has now recorded 14,347 dissent events in China since June 2022.

Our Q4 update focuses on a peak in wage-related protests, the increase in protests overall in 2025 & widespread censorship of protest on social media platform Douyin. freedomhouse.org/report/china...

TNR Watch: Delivering Accountability for Spyware Abuse In a victory for all those affected by digital transnational repression, a British court has awarded compensation to a Saudi-born dissident who had been targeted with spyware and physically assaulted ...

Freedom House works to counter the spread and abuse of commercial spyware technology through various initiatives, including the Pall Mall Process led by the UK and France. Read more about efforts to counter #transnationalrepression in our February analysis: freedomhouse.org/article/tnr-...

TNR Watch: Delivering Accountability for Spyware Abuse In a victory for all those affected by digital transnational repression, a British court has awarded compensation to a Saudi-born dissident who had been targeted with spyware and physically assaulted ...

At least 19 of the 48 state perpetrators of #transnationalrepression identified by Freedom House have used spyware to monitor the communications and movements of dissidents living abroad. Learn more from our February analysis: freedomhouse.org/article/tnr-...

🟧 NEW TNR WATCH: In a landmark ruling, a British court ordered the Saudi government to pay $4 million+ in damages to London-based activist Ghanem al-Masarir after it was found responsible for infecting his phone with Pegasus spyware and directing an assault on him freedomhouse.org/article/tnr-...

Read the latest Spotlight🔆on Freedom:

⛓️‍How to Support Iranians in Their Tireless Struggle for Freedom
🟧 NEW Transnational Repression (TNR) Watch
📢 ANNOUNCEMENT: Freedom House Appoints Jamie Fly as Chief Executive Officer

More: bit.ly/45RmScP
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Freedom House today announced the appt. of Jamie Fly as its Chief Executive Officer. A widely respected, experienced leader in democracy support, media freedom, technology, & national security, Fly will guide Freedom House through a pivotal period of renewal & growth freedomhouse.org/article/free...

TNR Watch: Venezuelan Transnational Repression A recent attack on two Venezuelan activists in Bogotá underscores the vulnerability of President Nicolás Maduro’s critics who have been driven into exile.

While the establishment of groups to address #transnationalrepression (TNR) in Europe & North America are welcome, more can be done to assist peer orgs in Asia, Africa, Latin America & the Middle East, which account for 62% of the direct TNR incidents in our database freedomhouse.org/article/tnr-...

Tipping the Balance: How to Support Iranians in Their Tireless Struggle for Freedom Amid rising authoritarianism and a wavering international commitment to human rights, the latest wave of protests in Iran is a reminder of the universal desire for freedom. This policy brief outlines ...

NEW Policy Brief: How to Support Iranians in Their Tireless Struggle for Freedom

freedomhouse.org/article/tipp...

🟧 NEW TNR WATCH: In recent years, the Group of Seven (G7), the European Parliament, and the governments of Canada, the UK, and Germany have established initiatives to address #transnationalrepression, reflecting years of research/advocacy by civil society groups: freedomhouse.org/article/tnr-...

Q&A: Amid the Chinese Communist Party’s Authoritarian Rule, How Does Freedom House Uncover Dissent in China?

Our China Dissent Monitor (CDM) is currently the only public database of protest events in China, having collected and analyzed nearly 14,000 such events since June 2022. Read more from CDM research lead Kevin Slaten: freedomhouse.org/article/qa-a...

Q&A: Amid the Chinese Communist Party’s Authoritarian Rule, How Does Freedom House Uncover Dissent in China?

China Dissent Monitor research lead Kevin Slaten recently spoke about how his team uncovers dissent in China, what it tells us about economic, social, & political trends there, & why understanding dissent in China is important for people living in the US. freedomhouse.org/article/qa-a...

Read the latest Spotlight🔆on Freedom:

💭 Q&A: How Does Freedom House Uncover Dissent in China?
🟧 NEW Transnational Repression (TNR) Watch
📢 STATEMENT: Iran: International Community Must Stand with Iranian People

More: bit.ly/3ZcyDXt
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Voicing dissent in China is risky but it's rising dramatically Figures from China Dissent Monitor show a considerable rise in incidents of dissent, despite the fact a lack of political freedom in China makes such actions risky.

WATCH: @skynewsrss.bsky.social examines the considerable rise in protests across China. Freedom House's China Dissent Monitor shows that in 2025, dissent increased by 48% compared to 2024, despite the Chinese government’s attempts to silence it. news.sky.com/video/voicin...

Learn more about this tool and download templates for both the US and the UK governments here: freedomhouse.org/article/free...

UPDATE: Freedom House has released a second version of its template to report surveillance technologies used to violate human rights, this one for specific use by the UK government, which is a signatory to several efforts to counter the irresponsible use of spyware.

Venezuela: Guidance for a Peaceful Transition to Democracy The United States should work with opposition leaders and the international community to ensure the release of political prisoners, reestablish the rule of law, and clear the way for a freely elected ...

NEW STATEMENT: The US should work with opposition leaders and the international community to ensure the release of political prisoners, reestablish the rule of law, and clear the way for a freely elected Venezuelan government. freedomhouse.org/article/vene...

Iran: International Community Must Stand with Iranian People, Demand Accountability for Regime’s Escalating Repression The Iranian regime’s violent crackdown on protesters is its latest effort to stifle growing dissent.

NEW STATEMENT: International Community Must Stand with Iranian People, Demand Accountability for Regime’s Escalating Repression freedomhouse.org/article/iran...

Leading the Way in the Defense of Freedom: Our Work in 2025 Amid a growing authoritarian threat, Freedom House is a beacon of hope to all those fighting for democratic principles and human dignity.

Amid a growing authoritarian threat, Freedom House remains a beacon of hope to all those fighting for democratic principles and human dignity. Learn more about our work in 2025: freedomhouse.org/article/lead...

Read the latest Spotlight🔆on Freedom:

🌎Leading the Way in the Defense of Freedom: Our Work in 2025
📢STATEMENT: Freedom House Condemns Unjust Conviction of Jimmy Lai
🔍NEW: UK Reporting Tool to Combat Misuse of Spyware & Surveillance Tech
More: bit.ly/496i83V
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🏛️ Foundations of Freedom: Our second essay focuses on the importance of an independent judiciary system in safeguarding against government overreach and protecting democracy.

Read more: freedomhouse.org/article/foun...

Issue 10: July – September 2025

Did you miss it? The tenth edition of @FH_China’s China Dissent Monitor added 1,392 cases to our database for a total of 12,331 dissent events recorded since June 2022.

What we’ve learned: freedomhouse.org/report/china...